Zardari seeks China's help over energy crisis - The Nation, Pakistan

BEIJING  - President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday called for greater Chinese investment in infrastructure development, particularly in mega energy projects, and proposed setting up of an Energy Fund for the ventures like hydro-power projects.
Zardari, in his meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao on the sidelines of the SCO summit, called upon the Joint Energy Working Group of the two countries that held its second meeting last month in Islamabad, to find new ways to progress forward. The two leaders discussed the whole gamut of bilateral relations to the recent developments taking place at the regional and international level. Presidential Spokesperson Farhatullah Babar said Zardari sought Chinese support for Pakistan’s energy problem besides articulating Pakistan’s position on various issues of interest to the region and the world.
He quoted the president as saying that Pakistan’s ultimate goal was a closer economic integration with China, as he also called for raising the bilateral trade target to $15 billion by 2015. He said the bilateral trade between the two countries was on an upward trajectory as it increased to $10.6 billion 2011 from US$ 8.6 billion in 2010, showing an increase of 22%.
He welcomed China’s support for mega hydro projects and also for connectivity projects in Pakistan and thanked the Chinese president for the continued support to Pakistan’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity and in its efforts to fight international terrorism.
Zardari welcomed China’s principled stand in support of Pakistan in the aftermath of the killing of Osama bin Laden and its recognition of Pakistan’s anti-terror efforts.
Pakistan had worked closely in UN Security Council reform process and Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty (FMCT) and appreciated China’s understanding of Pakistan’s strategic imperatives on the subject, he added.
Zardari said Pakistan strongly opposed any attempts to undermine China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and reiterated Pakistan’s full support to China’s core issues including its position on Taiwan, Tibet and Xinjiang. The president said Pakistan condemned the ETIM and assured China of its fullest cooperation in countering the terror outfit.
President Zardari mentioned the initiatives taken to revive the dialogue process with India and put in place CBMs like facilitating cross-LOC trade and travel facilitation. “We will continue to make determined efforts to keep the resumed dialogue process with India going in right direction,” he vowed.
He said the initiation of the China-Pakistan-Afghanistan tripartite dialogue was an important step, adding that Pakistan would continue to work closely with China for peace, stability and economic reconstruction in Afghanistan.
The president said Pakistan would strive to maintain engagement with the US to repair the relationship while upholding sovereignty and national dignity.
The spokesperson said that President Zardari also reiterated Pakistan’s case for full membership of SCO. He welcomed the finalisation of rules for admitting new members by the SCO and expressed the hope that this will pave the way for Pakistan’s full membership of the organisation. He also recalled that Pakistan was the first SCO member state to apply for full membership.
President Hu Jintao described Zardari as an ‘old friend of the Chinese people’ who has made important contributions toward promoting cooperation between China and Pakistan.
Meanwhile, Pakistan and China signed yet another MoU for cooperation in science, technology and space sciences.
The MoU was signed by Ambassador Masood Khan and the China’s science and technology organisation’s administrator and witnessed by both the presidents.
On the other hand, President Zardari and his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad agreed to vigorously pursue the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project as well as supply of electricity to Pakistan.
Briefing about the meeting on the side-lines of SCO summit, Farhatullah Babar said the two leaders also agreed to resolve urgently the issue of credit for the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline so as to complete it expeditiously.
The relevant minister and officials from both sides will now meet to further take forward the decisions taken in principle.
Zardari assured Nejad that the Pakistani territory would never be allowed to be used against Iran.
President Zardari thanked his Iranian counterpart for extending to him invitation to attend the NAM Summit. He also felicitated Iranian leadership for taking over the leadership of NAM.
He said amidst the energy crisis in the country, Pakistan looked forward to early completion of gas pipeline project with Iran which would help in meeting its requirements.
The two presidents also reviewed progress on various measures and strategies being adopted for full realisation of the trade potential of the two countries.
The two presidents, while terming terrorism and extremism a shared concern, agreed upon the need of confronting the menace jointly and through concerted efforts. The meeting also reiterated that the issue of drug-trafficking- being the major sources of funding for the militants-needed be addressed by the international community on priority basis.
On Afghanistan, Zardari and Nejad reaffirmed their commitment to continue supporting peace efforts in the neighbouring country.
President Zardari said socioeconomic development was the key to finding permanent solution to the problems in Afghanistan and the region.
Senator Babar said the overall situation in the Middle East also came under discussion during the meeting.
And his address to the 12th SCO Summit, President Zardari announced that Pakistan will host an international conference on narcotics and called for full membership of SCO to further advance the agenda of peace, security and development, elimination of narco for choking funding of militancy, fighting insurgencies and overcoming lack of development of the region.
Drawing attention to the challenges for region arising out of Afghan and Iraq wars, militancy and proliferation of drugs, the president called for greater collaboration in enhancing regional connectivity through air, rail and road links and building mega energy pipelines straddling across the region.
He said the SCO had grown from a security organisation to a broad-based regional arrangement and become a powerful vehicle for the promotion of regional cooperation and economic integration.
Zardari said Pakistan fully subscribed to SCO’s ideals and values, and wanted to further strengthen its relationship with the organisation and desires its full membership.
He said as fighting terrorism had been a priority for the SCO, there was a need to cement counter terrorism cooperation among the members of the organisation.
Welcoming SCO’s engagement with Afghanistan, the president said there could be no peace in the region without peace in Afghanistan.
He said Pakistan fully supported the efforts for ending violence in Afghanistan through a national reconciliation process driven by the Afghan people.
The president said Pakistani Parliament had recommended that the foreign fighters, if found on Pakistani soil, should be expelled. “The government is devising a comprehensive plan for this purpose and this would require the support of the international community in terms of resources and capacity building.”
Zardari said production and trafficking of narcotics had emerged as serious problems in the region and the regional countries must respond to the threat collectively, as he offered to host a counter narcotics conference of SCO states in Pakistan.
Meanwhile, Pakistan and India briefly discussed Afghanistan when President Zardari spoke to Indian External Affairs Minister SM Krishna, an Indian official said.
Zardari asked Krishna about Indian investments in Afghanistan. Krishna replied that these were concentrated in the areas of health, education and capacity building, the official said.
While addressing the summit, Krishna had referred to the $2 billion that India has allocated for Afghanistan’s reconstruction.

Zardari wants to lure Chinese investment